Quite simply, yesterdays, performance was atrocious, as was the way we set up to go about the task. Sadly PH reverted to the self destruct button as like the first leg of the Braintree semi final game.  I expect a flood of red crosses no doubt, but to my way of thinking this was a game and Trophy that we SHOULD HAVE WON, and relatively easy at that.  Yet again we had no idea, no tactics and no plan in this game.  If PH wasn't interested in winning this game he should have let the loyal fans know before we all went down to Wembley for the second week running.  When will Town next play at Wembley !!!!!  Could be a very long time indeed, why the hell didn't we put a show on for the fans yesterday.

I am delighted we are promoted and ultimately that is all that matters, but lining up in the final with Monkhouse and Pearson etc, was only going to lead to one result.....  this robbed the fans that attended on the day of another great Wembley day.  Congrats to PH on the promotion and the players, however, I have serious doubts if PH can lead us any further than this level.  Time will tell.  All in all a great season, but we REALLY should have kept the momentum going against what can only be described as a pub team.

UTM

What Pearson our best centre half for the 4 preceeding seasons?

Not massive difference between Pearson and Gowling. Pearson wasn't at fault for the goal.. Tait should have cleared it.

Pearson was fine yesterday. He was a bit wrong footed for their goal, but arguably Tait should have cleared it with his first touch. But on the whole Pearson was fine, is fine and I am delighted to have him at our club.

I genuinely thought the first half we were in control without being too effective in attack. Was another case of playing a team that set up with a deep low block, parking the bus essentially, with the odd counter attack. I genuinely thought we would change our formation and personnel in the second half and break it down and win the game. Sadly though we have gifted them a goal, as I say from not reacting quick enough to clear with the first touch. Thereafter then the changes looked to have been what was needed to break them down, but perhaps if made earlier we would have got on top.

I'm not really fussed and a part of me thinks that PH wasn't either. The real work was done the previous week. Monkhouse will be on his way and the least PH could do was let him have a decent run out at Wembley.

Momentum came to an end yesterday, massive home goal as a win would have secured additional season tickets and a lasting feel good factor. If the players were celebrating all week why did the Club con us into spending £'s yesterday?

Role on League 2, I'm sure on reflection we are more than happy with this season's outcome.

Quoted from 28195

Momentum came to an end yesterday, massive home goal as a win would have secured additional season tickets and a lasting feel good factor. If the players were celebrating all week why did the Club con us into spending £'s yesterday?

Role on League 2, I'm sure on reflection we are more than happy with this season's outcome.

With respect there is no evidence to say that a win yesterday would've meant extra season ticket sales. I don't feel conned either by the club . In fact I thought the clubs involvement was pretty low key all week. For me yesterday was always going to be surreal. Players are human beings and I doubt many had anything left in the tank after the previous two weekends either emotionally or physically. I went for a good day out in the capital. I paid less for my ticket than I'd pay to get into B.P. thanks to the group ticketing system (a great idea). The match was almost incidental. The only thing I was slightly disappointed about was that Podge couldn't sign off the season as he'd started it....with a goal.

Quoted from TheCodfather1966

All in all a great season, but we REALLY should have kept the momentum going against what can only be described as a pub team.

I can think of lots of other ways of describing them thanks. Could that be the last time we refer to our opponents as a pub team? I bloody hope so.

Don't get me wrong I am a Pearson fan, really like this guy he has a great attitude, I worded my post wrongly.  I like Pearson, just didn't think he would be up to speed for this game.  A fully fit Pearson would be an asset to any club at our level.

I was just gutted we rolled over and gave up yesterday....  I am a greedy git and wanted that trophy.... :-/ :o :o :o

UTM

Quoted from TheCodfather1966

Don't get me wrong I am a Pearson fan, really like this guy he has a great attitude, I worded my post wrongly.  I like Pearson, just didn't think he would be up to speed for this game.  A fully fit Pearson would be an asset to any club at our level.

I was just gutted we rolled over and gave up yesterday....  I am a greedy git and wanted that trophy.... :-/ :o :o :o

UTM

Didn't we all! But let's not forget the emotional roller-coaster the whole club has been on since the home defeat to Braintree - I defy you to tell me that it all panned out in the way you imagined.

The players gave it their best shot,

BUT

They had nothing left to give after the last 2 games,

Please do not blame them it was written in the stars   ;)

Heard on the way home yesterday that the team had only trained the once yesterday morning since the win over FGR. Found this disrespectful to the fans who had travelled yesterday and the minority that had supported the side throughout the Trophy run. Also feel it is unprofessional to have been on the P**s with a cup final around the corner. If I had known this doubt seriously I would have gone yesterday and felt the 'performance' was a microcosm of our whole season with us running out of ideas against a team that shuts up shop.

Quoted Text

The only thing I was slightly disappointed about was that Podge couldn't sign off the season as he'd started it....with a goal.

To be fair, other than the miss hit penalty, he hasn't looked like scoring for a few games now.

Paul Hurst admitted that the preparation was wrong and he has learnt a lesson, as others have said, the club should have said in the week that the players / management were not going to be up for this game, just a good job we played the games this way round, because if we had won the trophy first weekend would the team have been ready for the playoff final?

Bit surprised Marshall did not get a chance to run at them after his dramatic impact against Braintree second leg, Other than that we looked very static understandable given the enormous effort to win the play offs and final.

Town fans who felt hard done to should think about Hereford who took 20k and got hammered now that is a serious roll over.

Well said Vance Warner re 'pub teams'
Massive insult that is so wide of the mark.

I would say if all 24 teams were renamed A, B, C, D and so on and someone not familiar with National League was asked to pick the full time team and part time team they would struggle most of the time (EG: Braintree v Grimsby on at least 2 occasions last season)

I think it is used by people who thought we had a divine right to get promoted; as PH (and many others have said) it is a very hard league to get out of, especially as we deserved to be down there after several seasons of mediocrity

That ill advised, over-used term is hopefully non existent in the years to come!

No doubt I will be called a 'happy clapper' - largely used against people who offer a more balanced and less hysterical viewpoint

'Tin Pot'...and the lost goes on...

On BT Sport Adam Virgo said he'd spoken to Doig before the game and asked how the week had been. Doig rolled his eyes and said it had been 'very, very difficult to get them to focus'. It felt like watching a testimonial or friendly for the first half especially. I just think so much went into last Sunday and the players simply couldn't get up for it. I'll be honest and say I struggled to muster much excitement and it felt really anti-climactic from even before it started. Still our best season since 97/98!

Well I forecast a Halifax win yesterday for the very reasons posted above. The boys had been partying most of the week and PH said training had been more fun than serious. I still went but half of me was shouting to get their ars**es into gear and half of me wasn't bothered
Overall I swung to not really bothered but it was an expensive pre season friendly!!

Thought we would have problems when I saw the team, get the bit about rewarding loyalty but 4 - 4  - 2 with Monkey and 3 mid field players who had run their knackers off twice in the last 2 weeks as well as some hard core (well deserved) partying in the run up to the game we should have expected a performance that lacked energy.

Even though we made some chances in the first half we never looked like we had any venom behind them and it underlined our lack of a 4th striker.

I left at the end thinking "o.k. if you had told me get promotion lose the Trophy Final" last August I would have bit your hand off.

I never like to see Town lose and what bugged me this morning was that Circa 9,000+ made the "2nd effort" at no small cost to get down to Wembley a week after the play off finals but I am not sure some of the players made the same effort.

However this will be easily forgotten when we are sat at a packed BP versus Donny or away to a big side in the FL Cup.

Time to move on our non league days are over and I firmly believe for a long time yet.

UTM!!!

  

I don't think anything excuses or backs up the clubs complete lack of professionalism for the Trophy game.  Barralad, very lame excuses indeed !!!  This team should have been 100% up for this game no question and let everybody connected with GTFC down.  Shall we all go to work drunk up tomorrow and see how we perform............  I would hope most of us would be more professional than this regardless of what job we do.  A lot of people in this great Town of ours skinted themselves to back the boys two weeks running, and I feel that the club has thrown this great support straight back in their faces.  As much as I am dedicated to GTFC, I was thoroughly ashamed of them yesterday.

Delighted to be promoted, just hope Town can manage to keep professional right throughout the 2016-2017 season and just not when it suits.................  Rant over and bring on Pompey, Donny and Luton....... :) :) :)

UTM

Quoted from TheCodfather1966

I don't think anything excuses or backs up the clubs complete lack of professionalism for the Trophy game.  Barralad, very lame excuses indeed !!!  This team should have been 100% up for this game no question and let everybody connected with GTFC down.  Shall we all go to work drunk up tomorrow and see how we perform............  I would hope most of us would be more professional than this regardless of what job we do.  A lot of people in this great Town of ours skinted themselves to back the boys two weeks running, and I feel that the club has thrown this great support straight back in their faces.  As much as I am dedicated to GTFC, I was thoroughly ashamed of them yesterday.

Delighted to be promoted, just hope Town can manage to keep professional right throughout the 2016-2017 season and just not when it suits.................  Rant over and bring on Pompey, Donny and Luton....... :) :) :)

UTM

Whilst I accept the sentiment, there was only one outcome that was of any importance this season. We achieved that and anyone who went yesterday would have been well aware of it.

Mixed feelings on this. Performance was disappointing. I wouldn't say it was awful, not one that we've not seen from time to time. Also, the main objective as far as I'm concerned was promotion and that was achieved. There was going to be a risk of "after the Lord Mayor's parade" with this game.

If stories of poor preparation are true then that's really disappointing. They could have sealed legendary status with the double.